Alpine Travels October 2010

3 Late Season North Cascade Hikes
  • PTARMIGAN RIDGE HIKE: Fog and mist in Bellingham gives way to bright sun above the clouds at 5200-ft. Destination: The Portals at the base of Mt. Baker.
  • Crossing a saddle, the cloud deck spills over and across the trail.
  • Blueberry bushes light up a bright red; the trail begins to thaw.
  • A mixture of blueberry and heather at 6000-ft
  • Classic view of the trail countouring below Coleman PInnacle on the way to Mt. Baker.
  • 10,778-ft Mt. Baker.
  • A strong inversion keeps the clouds pushed down below 5000-ft as I hike in quiet, brilliant sunshine.
  • From the far point of my hike. I like to include at least one black and white image in my collections.
  • Some of the key features of the volcano seen from this north-east aspect.
  • Close-up view of a very large ice fall off of Sherman Peak (next to the crater). This was solid ice this time last year...
  • Mountain goats getting up and starting to move off, looking for breakfast (or avoiding hikers that will arrive during the rest of the day).
  • By 11 AM, the clouds are beginning to burn off. View south from near The Portals, the far point of my hike.
  • Close-up of Grant peak, the north face headwall, the Cockscomb, and the upper Park Glacier.
  • Even at noon, Lava Divide casts a long shadow under the October 2nd sun.
  • The return hike is dominated by views of 9127-ft Mt. Shuksan.
  • Almost back to Artist Point; a final look at Mt. Shuksan (native for "roaring mountain").
  • CUTTHROAT PASS HIKE: A 110-mile drive and a cold 10-mile hike to see the Golden Larches in their fall color... but I missed 95% of the gold needles.
  • Looking up at one of the few Larches with a meaningful number of needles.
  • My macro lens provides some interesting close-ups, and helps me forget that I missed the peak color.
  • Heading down toward Cutthroat Lake, a mature tree is highlighted against the shaded ridge.
  • A Stellar Jay watches the odd human staring at pine needles, most of which were on the forest floor.
  • Back to the needles... Golden Larches are one of two species of pine that lose their needles. These are unique to the Cascades.
  • Against the blue sky...
  • A final detailed view.
  • Returning back over Cutthroat Pass, the sun felt warm but the ice was not completely melted.
  • Drip... drip... drip. Temp close to freezing at 6800-ft.
  • A male Spruce Grouse watches me watch him. One of three species of grouse seen in the North Cascades.
  • CHAIN LAKES LOOP HIKE: Starting out on a cold and still morning, with a skin of ice formed on Bagley Lake (4400-ft).
  • Mountain Ash backlighted by the cold October morning sunshine.
  • Blueberries (and huckleberries) by the millions still hanging tough almost along the entire 8.5-mile hike.
  • Switch-backing up the trail to Herman Saddle, the blueberry bushes glow as the sun hits the foliage. Mt. Shuksan distant.
  • A pika catches some morning sun in the huge talus slopes near the base of Mt. Herman.
  • View of Mt. Baker from Herman Saddle; Iceberg Lake below and Table Mountain on the left.
  • The pikas were madly scrambling to collect their winter food supply in the basalt boudlers just below the Ptarmigan Ridge trail intersection.
  • Yet another pika. They sound just like someone stepping on a large squeeze toy. EEEEEEEEP!
  • Basalt columns formed by rapidly cooling lava, tilted to the side by ancient geologic forces, forms a wall along the trail.